SIPA Director-General Manoo Oradeedolachet was confident the new plan would meet the government’s target of 5,000 foreign ICT professionals and industry experts over the next five years. He stated that this influx of foreign workers would not adversely affect the domestic workforce, but would yield benefits in terms of knowledge transfer and exchange of expertise.

Manoo and other industry experts and government ministers hope that the plan will address Thailand’s deficit of foreign ICT experts, particularly in the software and banking sectors. Over the next five years, the government hopes to develop Thailand’s presence in the global software market, which is currently achieving a seven percent annual growth rate.

Manoo noted the success of similar programs that have been applied to develop technology sectors in other nations, including the U.S. Over 60 percent of ICT experts in California’s Silicon Valley high-tech corridor are foreign, said Manoo. By implementing a fast-track visa scheme in Thailand, he hopes that the nation’s emerging multimedia, film, software and other technology sectors can achieve similar success.